


I Want My Mommy

by Highlander_II



Series: None Goes His Way Alone [42]
Category: House M.D.
Genre: Community: 100_situations, F/M, Gen, scream
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-05-12
Updated: 2009-05-12
Packaged: 2017-10-12 12:03:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/124632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Highlander_II/pseuds/Highlander_II
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>House babysits and is confronted with a completely new situation. Post-S5, AU Timeline</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Want My Mommy

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=100_situations)[100_situations](http://www.livejournal.com/users/100_situations/), based on the table in [this post](http://highlander-ii.dreamwidth.org/299704.html#cutid1).
> 
>  
> 
> I've maintained canon events through Season 5 with one exception – House never started seeing 'dead people' and did not end up in the asylum. That's where the divergence occurs and the 'AU timeline' begins.
> 
>  
> 
> All of these 100 ficlets were written starting in May of 2009 and finishing by June/July of that same year.

A loud, piercing wail roused him from his semi-conscious state and it took him several seconds to realize it was the sound of a small child crying. His brain ran through the list of options for why he'd be hearing a child - the television, his neighbor, a radio, a dream - but none of those made sense. His mind kept going, kept running scenarios until he came to the one that _did_ make sense - _his_ child was screaming.

 _His_ child. That was strange to realize. He had a child. A son. Named, of all things, Gregory. (He actually had to smile at the genius of that plan.) And that child of his was screaming.

His thought process finally got him to the decision of 'get up and check on the kid'. It took less than five seconds for all of this to happen, but the piercing decibel level made it seem like longer.

As much of a chore as walking was for him in the middle of the night, he got himself to his feet and thumped his way down the hallway, wishing he had popped a couple Vicodin first. "Hey!" he called from the door. "What's wrong?" He leaned heavily against the frame, looking into his room where the child was standing in the middle of the bed, head thrown back, wailing.

He waited, but the boy continued to scream. "Gregory," he said firmly.

Immediately, the child was quiet. He'd have to remember that trick.

"What's wrong?" he asked again.

"It want my mommy!" the boy sniffled.

House nodded and patted at his pocket for his phone. "Wait here," he told the boy. "I'll call her. She'll come get you." He winced when he leaned too much of his weight on his right leg while he was turning to thump back down the hallway. He didn't scream, though he thought he might feel better if he did.

A little voice floated across the air to meet his ears. "What wong?"

All House could think was that the kid had seen him wince in pain. He was supposed to be the parental figure, strong and stoic, right? And the kid had seen his pain.

Little feet plopped on the hardwood floor and pitter-patted to where he was leaning against the wall. "What wong?" he asked again. The too big eyes on a child-sized face, looked up at him with all the concern his mother would show. House should've known the kid would pick up that trick.

He wanted to tell the boy to go back to bed, but couldn't risk yelling at him because he couldn't control his own pain, so he said nothing.

"Want your mommy too?" the boy asked, hopeful.

House shook his head. "No," he managed.

"Sit down?" the boy offered, tugging at House's fingers.

The kid was smart. House needed to sit. He needed to sleep. He needed Vicodin. House hobbled himself into the bedroom, letting a toddler lead him. He lowered his weary body to the bed with a heavy sigh. "Thanks, kid." He ruffled the boy's hair. "I'll call your mom in a minute.'

Brown curls swished around the boy's head with his emphatic headshake. "Stay. No mommy."

House frowned at the boy. "So now you _don't_ want me to call your mother?" he asked. To the answering headshake, he then asked, "So, what _do_ you want?"

Using House's good leg for leverage, Gregory scrambled onto the bed, then pushed House's shoulders like he wanted him to lay down. He even said "Down," to him.

Not one to pass up a nap, House stretched himself out on the bed. A moment later, thirty pounds of toddler was nestled next to him, head pillowed on his shoulder. He's given the instruction 'sleep' from the drowsy toddler and closed his eyes to comply.

 _Well, Stacy,_ he thought, _maybe I would've been okay at this after all._


End file.
